Hope from the shadows
by Alianachan
Summary: Time travel, ANBU. On his way back from a mission ANBU captain Inu found two unknown injured masked nins. The questions are why are they so strong, why is one of them looking exactly like Minato sensei and why oh why is Sandaime-sama trying to make Kitsune the next Hokage?
1. Konoha's shadows

**Warnings! (I'll only do this once so please read it)**

**-There won't be any AN in the story and except for the disclaimer there won't be any at the beginning either (except this once ^^). I'll put clarifications and answer questions at the end so those of you who want to skip it, can.**

**-This is another of those time travel fics. Done a million times I know but I believe this twist in this timeframe has not been done before.**

**-There is no romance in this fic! I suck at writing it and I didn't want to ruin my story trying. There MIGHT be small hints of pairings but nothing more.**

**-This is not yaoi, as much as I love boyxboy this is not it. However, There is close FRIENDSHIP between male characters so feel free to interpret it as you want.**

**-English is not my first language, I think I'm quite good at it and I have proofread the chapters more than once. However, it is highly possible that there are small mistakes here and there. You can either ignore them or tell me so I can correct them for the readers after you.**

**-This is my first fanfic ever so if you could be so kind as to review (good or bad) it will be greatly appreciated. (^_^)**

_Disclaimer_

_The morning light had barely begun to illuminate the village, that at Konoha's gates an ANBU squad was getting ready to leave for their mission. The captain just had to finish giving his last instructions and they would be on their way towards Kaminari no Kuni._

_"… and that's our plan to complete this assignment. Any questions?" asked the silver haired captain of squad 3._

_Seeing that none of his subordinates had any, he continued in a deadly serious tone,"Now I want all you to listen very carefully, this might be the most important thing."_

_Already standing at attention, his four teammates suddenly stood straighter. While being a laid back man in his life, once he donned his inu mask their captain was always serious. But rarely THIS serious…_

_Seeing they were all ears ANBU captain Inu said, again in greatly serious tone, "__**Alianachan doesn't own us, Konoha or any elements of the Naruto universe. This fanfic is purely for fun and all rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**__ Understood?"_

_Saying that his squad was stunned would be an understatement. Of all things they had expected their leader to say that was certainly not it. Only their ingrained habits thanks to many years of service in Konoha's military corps allowed them to reply with the expected answer. "Yes sir!" They all chorused._

_"Good, now the mission begins, depart!" and with these words squad 3 captain was on his way to Kaminari no Kuni._

_Following him, his subordinates looked at each other confused, had their commander finally lost it? A few seconds later, they all shrugged, forgetting the incident. Inu was already insane, a bit more or a bit less…_

**Hope from the shadows –Konoha's shadows**

Everything was peaceful at the border between Kaminari no Kuni and Hi no Kuni. The sky devoid of any cloud allowed the full moon to cast an eerie light on the otherwise dark forest. The silence of the night was broken by the noise of the nocturnal predators hunting their prey and the sound crickets. It was a perfect example of a warm summer night in that piece of land, nothing out of place.

Rare were the shinobi who had enough skills to spot the only oddity among that scenery: A five men ANBU squad heading silently towards Konoha…

ANBU captain Inu was happy, the mission had gone smoothly with fewer casualties than expected and they were returning to Konoha ahead of schedule.

For an S rank, this mission had been rather easy to complete. Their target, the daimyo of Kaminari no Kuni had a fear of shinobi and thus disliked having any around him. This fact made his protection a lot weaker and squad 3 had no problem assassinating him and getting out as fast as they could. Their only miscalculation had been to underestimate the number of traps in the palace. Neko limping leg from a volley of arrows and Tanuki broken arm from a falling boulder were proof of that mistake. It was nothing major however, especially considering they had just managed to kill the ultimate ruler of one of the five strongest Elemental Nations.

As he repeatedly scanned their surroundings for any signs of a pursuit party or a border patrol, Inu pondered if the high ranking was due to the utmost secrecy of this particular assignment. After all should Kumogakure had any suspicions that Konoha was involved in the death of their daimyo it could very well mean the start of the Fourth Shinobi War.

A cold shiver ran through Inu at that though. He had fought in the previous war and he really didn't want to live that hell again.

Repressing the start of a panic attack and calming his breathing –they would NOT be discovered because he could not keep his emotions under control- he quickly recalled the mission from the start to the present, looking for any moments they might have screwed up. The ANBU captain let out a silent breath of relief after failing to find anything wrong with his actions or those of his subordinates.

As if on cue, one of the members of his squad, Usagi, used the silent sign language to request permission to speak. Scanning one last time their surroundings, the captain used the same way to signal a stop.

Once the five men were standing under a particular large tree –allowing them to be almost undetectable- he motioned for the man wearing the rabbit mask to speak.

The ANBU straightened and murmured in a voice so low that only his teammates could hear "Sir permission to request a break. We have been on the run for six hours now and there have been no signs of pursuit. Moreover, while Neko and Tanuki injuries are minors, it would be best to tend to them quickly to prevent infection.

Seeing the tension in the shoulders of his captain and managing to interpret it as disapproval thanks to his years of serving in the same squad as Inu, he quickly continued before his request could be denied.

"No arrogance intended taicho but we're the best ANBU squad in Konoha and I highly doubt someone is going to catch up or ambush us. I know you could continue non-stop until you reached the village, but we're not all as strong as you sir. We're extenuated and Neko is on the verge of collapsing"

Said ANBU turned sharply to glare at his teammate but didn't comment.

Instead of refusing the request like he intended to do first, Inu took time to take a long look at his squad. Usagi was right in saying that they were the team with the highest success rate and it was true that they had been on the run for a while now, not even counting the time it took to complete the mission. One glance at Neko had him admit that the mother hen of his squad was spot on: the kid really looked like he was going to collapse any minute now. That didn't stop his youngest subordinate to stand at attention like nothing was wrong, no words of complain escaping his lips. Hell, had Usagi not brought focus to his situation he probably would have gone on until he fell to the ground, becoming a burden for the others. Inu made a mental note to have a word or two with the kid later.

The commander sighed, his team truly deserved a break but they were still so close to the border…

Reaching a decision, the highest-ranking member of squad 3 turned toward the rookie and said in a concerned voice -or as concerned as that man could managed- "Can you hold on for another half an hour?"

"Yes sir!" replied Neko squaring his shoulder and trying to sound more confident than he really was. Being placed on squad 3 under the famous captain Inu was an honor and he would be caught death before doing something unworthy of it. Something like slowing downhis team because of his weakness.

Casting a last appraising look towards the feline mask bearer, the ANBU captain nodded and turned his sharp eye to the rest of his subordinates. "Camp 5 is only a short while ahead, we continue at the same pace until we reach it and then we rest there for the remaining of the night." It was said in a commanding voice so Usagi, Tanuki, Neko and Hakuchou –the last member of the team- knew better than to discuss the order. They simply nodded to prove they understood the instructions. Not a second later Konoha ANBU squad 3 had left and was on the way towards Camp 5 as fast and silently as shadows.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

Camp 5 was a really small clearing barely able to contain nine or ten grown men before becoming overcrowded. Trees of one of the largest and densest specie found in Hi no Kuni hid it. That is to say, even an alert observer who knew what to search for would have a hard time finding it.

The resting spot owned its name to the fact that it was the fifth encampment that squad 3 had found. Being often sent all across the Elemental Nations on missions it became a necessity for Inu's team to have places they could rest without the fear of being ambushed. As such, while on their assignments the team always kept their eyes open for places like Camp 5. Once secured with traps and seals these spots became safe havens for squad 3. As no one else knew of them not even the Hokage, these Camps were where the ANBUs felt the most at ease, when they were not inside their village.

Considering these facts it's no wonder that once they reached their destination and their squad leader had given them the rest order, squad 3 members took off their masks. By doing so they stopped being tools only capable of giving or executing orders like killing machines and reversed back to ordinary shinobi; jounins with crazy quirks and strange personality like any respectable jounin had.

"Come here kitten, I'll take care of your injured paw," said a somewhat handsome man wearing a bandana and holding a senbon in his mouth. As he was saying it, he placed his usagi mask in his pack and retrieved a first aid kit from it.

"There is no need Genma sempai, I'm fine." Replied stoically a sixteen years old teen "You didn't have to single me out earlier I could have continued until we reached Konoha." He added brusquely, still upset to have appeared weak in front of his captain.

"Give it up kiddo,*cough* we may not have a medic-nin in our squad but Genma *cough* has taken it upon himself to see to our health and he can be *cough* as stubborn as those damn doctors at the Konoha's hospital *cough* when they fuss over you." The dark haired man who just advised his younger teammate was in his 20s and had white skin with eternal dark bags under his eyes, signs of the sickness that had plagued him since its birth. At his side was a beautiful katana that only a kenjutsu specialist like himself could wield properly.

As if to prove his comrade point, the pseudo medic was now forcing the young ANBU to sit down so he could treat his leg. It's with a mix of pride and humor that he added, "Hakuchou hime is right kitten; none of you idiots can take care of himself. So I do it for you guys and I'll be damn if your complaints stop me from doing my job. Beside even taicho can't resist me when he's injured."

Neko stole a glance at their commander now sitting with its back against a tree before continuing to protest although less vehemently, "Genma sempai, Hayate sempai I assure you my leg is fine, I can-"

"Maa kitten, let Genma take care of you ok? While minor we don't your injury to infect and slow us down right?" said the playful and lazy voice of the ANBU captain. He had enjoyed the argument between his subordinates but the kid was too stubborn for his own good. Seeing as the teen was once again trying to protest, the 20 years old silver haired man added in a more serious tone, "Tenzo ANBUs get assigned the most dangerous missions and injuries are a part of the job. Unless it's the result of doing something completely stupid or reckless there's no shame in being hurt. Genma only wants your well being by trying to treat you."

Looking at his feet the ANBU named Tenzo stopped resisting Genma and mumbled a weak "Yes taicho". His captain had not given an order or even used a commanding tone but he was expecting him to obey. Since his entry in the squad a few months ago, the man had only used his name while being completely serious, otherwise mockingly referring to him as kitten like Genma sempai.

"And the same goes for Raido right?" added the highest ranking shinobi turning his face which was half covered by a black mask leaving only one eye visible –the other one was hiding by his hitai-ite -to the remaining member of his squad. He gave said member one of his famous eye smile before adding, "You don't really think that by being silent we would forget about you right? Genma once you're done with the kitten please tend to Raido."

"Of course taicho!" was the playful reply of the senbon user.

The holder of the tanuki mask groaned loudly and muttered a few curses but otherwise stoically resigned himself to his fate. He knew that him injured vs. Genma in his mother hen mode always resulted in him losing so he didn't even try to put on a fight.

Hayate -or Hakuchou hime as he was sometimes affectionately nicknamed by his teammates- who was uninjured laughed at the tortured expression of his two fellow ANBU members before it transformed into a painful cough. Well maybe he wasn't so healthy after all but there was nothing Genma or any Konoha doctor could do about it.

From his sitting spot the silver haired captain looked with amusement at his subordinates before deciding to put a stop to their banter. As diverting as it was they were still on an S rank mission. "Ok guys time to get some sleep; we rest for six hours before heading straight for Konoha at a fast pace and without break. I want to report to the Hokage and get this mission done and over with as soon as possible." Stopping to verify he had all of his companions' attention he then continued with his instructions, "we'll do four watches of an hour and a half each. I'm first then Hayate followed by Genma and Raido gets the last one."

"What about me taicho?" asked Tenzo worried to be excluded of the watch list.

His commander straightened himself from his sitting position before looking intensely at his youngest subordinate and saying in the most serious tone he could manage, "I have another job for you Tenzo if you accept it. It's a job that will keep all of your teammates safe and diminish the risk of yours and Raido injury infecting."

At once the teen snapped to attention and exclaimed "It would be my honor to do such job taicho! Name it and I'll do it!"

All his seriousness forgotten the leader stood and gave Tenzo one of his eye smile before saying with an amused voice, "Great kitten, use your mokuton abilities to build a nice house for your sempais now will you."

The hidden smile of his captain and the repressed chuckles of his teammates was all it took for the teen ANBU to realize he had been manipulated. His shoulders slumping in defeat Neko once again mumbled a weak "Yes Kakashi taicho", before complying and making a few hand signs.

_Mokuton jutaku kensetsu no jutsu!_

A few seconds later a small house made of wood stood in the center of the clearing, taking almost all of the available space.

*Whistle* "It never gets old no matter how many times I see this ability of yours! It's in moments like this one that I'm glad we're on the same squad kitten", exclaimed a happy Genma.

Raido and Hayate simply gave him a small grateful nod before heading inside. His commander then patted him on the back whispering a small praise before he went back to sit against his tree to take his watch.

Sighing, Tenzo took his pack and followed his sempais inside. He hadn't even though about protesting or complaining that he was manipulated. While the teen still had lessons to learn about how his squad functioned, such as never opposing Genma in mother hen mode, there was one he had learnt fast and the hard way: Kakashi taicho always got what he wanted one way or another. Sighing again the ANBU sagely decided that it was better to just forget about it and go to sleep instead of being depressed about how his awesome, famous, powerful and annoying captain treated him.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

ANBU squad captain Inu also known as Hatake Kakashi awoke half an hour before the rising time he had set for his team with a deep feeling that something horrible was going to happen. The only times he had felt so bad were the days his dad, Obito, Minato sensei and Rin had died. He had come to realize that this sentiment meant that one of his precious people was in grave danger. However this realization had come too late. In the past, had he not attributed this presage of doom to a forgotten nightmare or a trick of his mind, maybe just maybe, he could have saved them. While this time he recognized the feeling and was willing to act on it he could not pinpointed its destination. All of those he cared about were dead, the closest he had to precious people were his squad and they were safe in the house with him right now. He hadn't let anyone close since team 7. Team 7…Minato sensei…no it couldn't be…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

In less time necessary for a person to blink there were four alert shinobi kunai in hands looking for the enemy. The fifth member of the squad, its leader, was sitting after suddenly redressing himself from his previously lying position. He had a look of absolute horror in his eye and his breathing was erratic due to panic.

One second later the four armed ANBU had scanned their surroundings and realized that whatever had alerted their commander was not an immediate danger.

Two seconds later, said commander had collected his though and, in a state driving by an unknown urgency, he was up packing his things.

Four seconds later, Kakashi was wearing his mask, ready to leave.

Four and a half second later, the commander of Konoha ANBU squad 3 was barking orders to his team.

"All of you pack your things we're leaving right now. Neko I want you to destroy this house, make it seem like it never existed." Inu took the few seconds needed by his team to execute his orders to plan his next course of action. Once they were all standing at attention in front of him, masks in place and ready to leave he gave them their next commands, "we're heading straight for Konoha, don't bother about stealth, speed is the most important right now. Line formation with me in front then, Tanuki, Usagi, Neko and Hakuchou." These orders were given in a calm and collected voice despite the panic its owner could sense building inside of him.

"Yes sir!" was the simultaneous reply given by all of his subordinates. The fear they could see in their commander eye along with the trust they had in him stopped them from asking any questions. If Inu taicho thought something was wrong, then something was wrong.

The ANBU captain nodded once, made the signal to depart and an instant later squad 3 was on her way toward Konohagakure at blurring speed.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

Inu was pushing himself to the limit, intending to get to Konoha as fast as he could. Behind him, his squad was hard pressed to follow, trying their best not to lose him. The silver haired ANBU glanced at his teammates making a sign to tell them to go faster. He knew he was asking the impossible but they HAD to get to the village. If his instinct was right, and it had never been wrong before, then sensei's son, Naruto was in danger.

At first it had only been duty toward his sensei legacy that had drawn the 20 years old ANBU to the little jinchuuriki. When his team was not away on a mission he always volunteered to be part of Naruto's guard. While he could not interact directly with the child as Kakashi –If the favored student of the Yondaime suddenly took an interest in a blue eyed and blond haired six years old, people would quickly make the connection between father and son- he contented himself with watching from the shadows. He had not planned to get so attached. While the ANBU could not really say that they were close –Hell the kid barely knew Inu existed- Naruto had grown on him. A day or two of guarding the little sunshine was all it took to relieve the stress of a difficult mission.

And now the child was in danger and not knowing what kind of menace he was facing was driving Kakashi crazy. Had Iwa found out he was Minato sensei son? Had the Kyuubi managed to get around the seal and was threatening to come out? Had the villagers finally decided that ANBU protection or not, law or not, it was time for the demon child to die? The only way to know and to save Naruto was to get to Konoha. Hence the inhuman speed he was imposing on himself and his squad.

They were still three hours away from the village when a huge explosion followed by sound of a battle a few miles to the east made the squad stopped abruptly. Panting heavily, Hakuchou, Usagi, Tanuki and Neko looked at their commander waiting for his instructions.

Said leader, was feeling conflicted. The battle was close enough to Konoha to be a threat and judging by the noises coming from its direction the ones fighting had to be high jounin or maybe even kage level in power. On the other side, he feared what would happen if he failed to get to the village soon.

The sound of a particularly huge explosion gave him no choice. He was an ANBU of Konohagakure and he had a duty to protect his home from any possible threats. Besides, what proof did he have that Naruto was in danger? A simple feeling? While for him it was enough, the same could not be said about the Hokage or the Council. He prayed to all the gods that he knew for his decision not to be another failure on his part. That it did not lead to him losing an important person again. Taking a deep breath, he bit his thump and made a few hand seals.

_Kuchiyose no jutsu!_

A poof of smoke later, a small brown dog wearing a Konoha hitai-ite was standing in front of squad 3.

Kakashi did not even take the time to greet his main summon and friend before explaining the next course of actions to his team. "Tanuki and Hakuchou you're going back to Konoha as fast as you can. Report straight to the Hokage the success of the mission and tell him we heard evidence of a battle between powerful foes. It should take you 3 hours to reach the village. The rest of the squad and I are going to investigate the threat. Also ask the Hokage to send a backup team comprising of a medic-nin just in case something goes wrong."

He then turned to his summon and the ninken, having been with the silver haired shinobi since he was a puppy, could tell that his friend was far from being calm and in control like he appeared to be. "Pakkun please lead these two and make sure you don't encounter any enemy nin or even a Konoha patrol, nothing that can slow you guys down." Taking a deep breath Inu fixed his ninken in the eyes and added" Tell Sandaime-sama that I think Sunshine is in danger. Request, bite, beg if you have to but make sure he protects the kid. "

"You have your orders now go, dismissed!" The silver haired ANBU had barely finished speaking that they were already not there, having left fast and silently like only elite shinobi could do.

Deming that they had already lost too much time, ANBU captain Inu began to run towards the sounds of battle and, not bothering to speak, gave his two remaining squad members a few hand signs commands. _Follow. Upon arrival, do not engage, await orders_.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

The fight was over when they got there but the site of the battle was truly a sight to behold. Where there was once huge trees part of the Hi no Kuni forest there was now a vast barren piece of land. Post-apocalyptic was the first word that came to the mind of the three ANBU upon their arrival.

The long gashes on the ground, the melt stones and the few gigantic size holes could only be the result of at least S ranked jutsus.

Forget high jounin, this was definitely a fight between kage level opponents!

Hatake Kakashi, son of Konoha White Fang, student of the Fourth Hokage, currently the best ANBU squad captain of his village, also known as Sharingan no Kakashi and ANBU Inu, was obviously not a coward. But even he couldn't repress a shudder of fear as he tried to react the battle in his head. He was really glad that none of the fighters seemed to be in the vicinity.

Stretching his sense as far as he could, Inu made sure there was no sign of living humans before signaling for his subordinates to drop on the ground of the newly formed clearing.

"Neko stay in the trees on the lookout, alert us immediately if you sense someone coming. Usagi, we're looking for corpses. I want to know what sides were fighting here."

After he got their nods, a relieved Neko went back up while a tensed Usagi remained on the ground and began searching for fallen shinobi with his commander.

After twenty minutes of vain search, the ANBU captain motioned for his subordinate to stop and come over. "Report" was all he said in a carefully low yet still authoritative tone.

"Sir. I saw no sign of something even vaguely looking like human remains. Either the fight entered a stalemate and each faction went their own way or one of the opponents managed to capture the other." Reported a slightly disturbed Usagi. The damages caused by the battle were even more impressive up close and didn't let the ANBU impassive.

His captain gave him a thoughtful nod, going through all the info they had gathered on the battle so far. It didn't amount to much really. Considering that they were more of an assassination and tracking squad than an investigation one and that there was only two of them inspecting the site, it was unsurprising. Now that the threat to Konoha seemed to be gone; it might be a better idea to go back, report to the Hokage and let the experts do their job.

Inu was about to signal the retreat and the order to go back to the village when his hyper developed sense of smell caught an all too familiar metallic scent. He knew it well; it had been a part of his life since he was six: blood.

It was faint, really faint, so much that him, ANBU captain Inu, the world renowned tracker had almost missed it. But it was definitely there and now that he had caught it, he wasn't about to lose the scent trail. It came from the forest and seemed to go deeper and deeper into it. Probably one of the fighters had been injured and had managed to escape.

That meant he might be able to get answers after all…

Motioning for Neko and Usagi to follow, the silver haired elite shinobi lead them into the forest about two hundreds meters away from the battle site, to the first drop of blood, the beginning of the trail.

They were under a large tree and on one of its leaf you could see two tiny red spots, blood. It was so little that in the shinobi world probably only Kakashi and his summon Pakkun would have been able to find it. Fortunately, one of them was there.

Said ANBU turned to his subordinates standing at attention to once again give them his instructions. "Neko you're with me, we are to follow the trail until we find the injured shinobi. If it's a corpse we'll bring back with us for the T & I department to examine, same if he's injured enough for us to apprehend. Usagi you stay two hundreds meters behind, you are not to join us unless I call for you." Inu then added in a grimmer tone, "If 30 minutes pass without news of either Neko or me then assume the worst and go report to the backup squad and put yourself under the orders of their captain. Understood?"

And once again he got the expected answer from both ANBU: "Yes sir!" But as he was about to turn to execute his own orders the captain noticed the tension in his youngest subordinate shoulders and the slight trembling of his hands. So, knowing that having an unfocused shinobi in this situation could be really dangerous, he asked the feline mask bearer what was wrong.

"I…I'm fine sir." The rookie tried to say but a stern look from his commander had him telling the truth. "I…I've only been an ANBU operative for a few months sir. Having seen the battlefield I don't think I'm strong enough to fight against such opponents even if they are near dead. I…I'm too weak and inexperienced to assist you taicho. As much as… as I hate to disappoint you sir I believe Usagi would be a better choice to bring with you." Confessed Neko, shoulders dropping and head bowing in shame.

"Tenzo," began the silver haired "It is true that Genma and I have survived the Third Shinobi War. Besides we have a connection to the Fourth Hokage, me as his student and Genma as his personal bodyguard so we definitely have more experience and it's not the first time we face kage level nins." Seeing his subordinate head dropping lower and lower with each of his words he quickly added, "However, don't sell yourself short. You managed to pass the ANBU exam as well as the one to be part of MY squad and all that at sixteen. Few shinobi in Konoha can claim such accomplishments. I personally believe you will be able to assist me should the need arise. Besides, with his uninjured leg Genma can get to the backup squad faster than you and that could very well save our lives."

The teen was still looking at the ground so Kakashi used a sharper and slightly angry voice to command him. "Neko look at me! Now I want you to bring your acts together, we already lost enough time. You come with me, that is final and IF there is a fight you WILL assist me with confidence in your skills. Do I make myself clear soldier?"

Trembling a little at the harsh tone and the reprimand the young ANBU snapped to attention. "Perfectly clear sir!"

"Good, you two know what to do, now depart!" ordered Inu.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

Following the blood trail led them to a cavern under a pit of rock that probably used to be a really small mountain long long ago. Before time eroded it. The strong smell of blood coming from within confirmed that the injured or dead shinobi was there.

Next to him Neko suddenly came to a stop and Inu, trusting his subordinate who was a better sensor than him, halted his steps too. The teen picking up the chakra signature of their target meant it was still alive after all.

_Report_ signaled Inu, opting for the silent sign language in their need to be discreet.

Neko answered the same way. _One target, chakra flickering_, meaning its owner was near dead, _abnormal_. That had Inu raise an eyebrow in question behind his mask. Abnormal could mean a lot of things; one of the downside of sign language was its limited vocabulary.

_Too much_ _chakra_ answered the young ANBU to the unspoken question, but before he could explain further, something had him tensed in alarm and he spoke trying to warn his captain. "There's a second target, its chakra signature was hidden by the huge one of his companion! He's coming towards us, I think he sensed us sir!"

He had barely finished speaking when two things happened at once; Inu sensed the target entering the edge of his sensing zone and said target, an unknown masked nin, suddenly appeared in a blue light swinging a katana at Neko's head.

Time seemed to freeze for the ANBU captain, his activated sharingan allowing him to see a few seconds ahead. The sword would sever his comrade neck; there was no way for the teen to dodge in time and too little for him to try to help. Even knowing it was in vain, Inu couldn't stop his voice from shouting "Neko duck!"

As illogical as it was, his words seemed to have an effect on the stranger. He froze for a instant –not long enough to allow the two ANBU to exploit his hesitation- and instead of killing the feline mask bearer he simply pressed his katana to Neko's neck before securing his arms with ninja wire.

All these before the last echoes of the ANBU commander shout had finished fading.

Sensing that the comrade of his prisoner was about to try something, the masked shinobi spoke "Don't move and nobody gets hurt. State your I.D, village and reason for chasing my teammate and me." Each word was said in an emotionless tone but the killing intent emitted gave no doubt that it was a threat.

"Maa, maa let's calm down shall we." Replied squad 3 leader, all tension leaving his body. His hands dropped to his sides in a non-threatening manner and his guard seemed to be down but those close enough to him knew he was at his most dangerous in this sate. "My friend and I simply walked on an interesting battle site and were wondering who were behind it." No lies but not the complete truth either. That was the best way to go during interrogation.

As his mouth was doing small talk, his eyes –both eyes- were taking in his opponent's appearance. The enemy nin was in bad shape; his clothes were torn and burnt, blood was oozing from many of his injuries some of them quite serious and his mask -an ANBU mask with an crow or a raven drawn on it- had a hole in it leaving his mouth and part of his nose exposed. If those signs weren't enough, than his really low chakra level and his broken arm –he hid that one injury well but it was not good enough to escape Inu sharp observations- were proof that he had been in a serious fight not too long ago.

All in all, had he not taken them by surprise, the ANBU would had no problem overcoming him.

Even knowing these facts, Inu never let his guard drop, the enemy –he decided to call him Crow- was strong enough to have survived a kage level battle while sustaining no fatal injury meaning he WAS a kage level shinobi. His body language also spoke of experience in desperate situations; this was a war veteran who had seen more than his share of battles standing before him.

That's when it hit him, Crow WAS desperate! He had sensed them coming by their chakra signature so he knew that Inu and Neko were presently stronger than him. But instead of trying to flee, and with his speed he was certainly able to do it, he had come to meet his pursuers successfully distracting them from the other target. Target who, if Neko was right, was near dead. Moreover Crow had said the other was his teammate so Inu was probably right to assume the enemy nin was trying to protect his friend and would not abandon him. Hmm he could use that. Now how to get him to release his young subordinate…

Tactics and possible plans defiling in his head with a speed befitting of a Nara, Inu went over all of them before choosing one. Keep the conversation going but try to get control of the situation. But before he could execute it, Crow spoke again.

"I don't see what the battlefield you witnessed has to do with me." It was once again said in an emotionless tone, giving nothing away.

"Hum…maybe the blood trail that your teammate currently in the cavern left from the site to here?"

At the mention of said teammate Crow posture became slightly defensive and the sword pressed harder on Neko's neck creating a thin red line of blood. But the emotion left a instant later and he relaxed, saying with a touch of amusement in his voice "I though I had completely erased it, impressive"

That disturbed Inu, the way the enemy nin had said that, seemed to imply something else, almost like he had said "As expected of you" instead.

Pushing the feeling to the back of his mind for now, the ANBU captain went on with his plan. "Now that you know that my teammate and I were just curious why don't you release him so we can talk like civilized people?"

"We're shinobi, not civilized people. Besides you still haven't giving me your I.D. and village."

"Maa, don't you know it's impolite to ask someone's name before offering yours?" Ok, not really subtle but Inu had a feeling the other would not appreciate useless talk.

"You don't seem to understand the situation here," replied Crow, once again drawing his hostage blood. He then added with the amusement back in his voice, "But I suppose I could oblige you."

Slightly inclining his head he presented himself, "ANBU captain Karasu, I.D. 342223 from Konoha."

At these words, Neko who had been tensed and quiet during the exchange saw red. "Don't try to impersonate a Konoha nin, the karasu mask is not even currently in service, you're lying!"

"Neko quiet!" Inu tried to stop his teammate but he was too late.

"You just gave information to a possible enemy," smirked Crow –no… Karasu- "But I already knew that you two and your friend about two hundred meters to the north were Konoha nins. That's the only reason you're alive rookie."

He then released his prisoner, threw his katana to the ground and raised his hands in surrender. "I understand if you can't trust me, my existence and the one of my superior are highly classified, I doubt even the famed ANBU captain Inu knows anything about us. Had my leader not been severely wounded, we wouldn't have made contact, even with allies."

Contrarily to his subordinate who was trembling with anger, The ANBU captain seemed completely undisturbed by Karasu's revelation. Still keeping his casual tone, the silver haired shinobi said, "This is very confusing, you seem to know me well enough to recognize the sound of my voice but I haven't have the slightest clue as to who you are." Finally dropping the friendly attitude, Inu suddenly disappeared only to reappear half a second later behind the other nin, a kunai at his throat.

"You better be able to present proof of your claims or else…" gone was the non-threatening ANBU, the last sentence was said in a voice that still haunted his enemies' nightmares.

To his credit, Karasu didn't even flinch, even with Inu a short breath away at ending his life. He simply answered the question –more like an order really- with his emotionless voice back. "I haven't been in Konoha for the last three years so I don't know the actual secret codes of the black ops. However, I can prove that at least I was born in Konoha." And with these enigmatic words, he slowly reached for his mask with his broken arm, removing it and showing his full face to the two members of squad 3.

Four eyes were immediately drawn to Karasu's. His pupils were a bright red with three black tomoes quickly spinning inside. They were proof of a bloodline limit that no one in the shinobi world could mistake, a bloodline limit only found in Konohagakure; the Sharingan.

"Uchiha…" murmured a dumbstruck Neko

Seeing as even the sight of his eyes couldn't lower the suspicious of the man aiming a kunai at his throat, Karasu sighed exasperated. –He knew Kakashi didn't trust easily but he really hoped this time could be an exception- Still trying to appear as defenseless as possible; he tried to reason with the man. " Look, in my shape right now, I would probably loose a fight against a chuunin so there's really not much I can do facing two –or three, if you recall your comrade- ANBU operatives."Karasu seemed to resent these facts for they were said in a bitter tone. "My leader is in even worst state, that idiot is on the verge of death! Bring him to Konoha's hospital and report to your Hokage that Kitsune is back in is lair. He'll understand and tell you we're not enemies." He didn't say the word _please_ but it still hung in the air.

That's probably what convinced Inu to act. Karasu was desperate enough to plead and Uchihas DIDN'T plead even to save their life. His teammate must be really important to him if he was willing to go that far. Knocking Karasu unconscious, he told Neko to bind him with his wood jutsu and guard the Uchiha while he went to retrieve his leader.

Hope from the shadows-Konoha's shadows

The injured shinobi was leaning against the cavern wall, a pool of blood under him. Like his comrade, his ANBU clothes were torn and burnt and he had too many bleeding injuries to count. His mask however was still complete and firmly in place. A kitsune was drawn on it, which probably meant the cryptic message that Karasu left him was about this shinobi.

Now that he was so close to the other nin, Inu could really understand why Neko had said this one chakra was abnormal. There was no doubt the man was near death, his chakra was flickering on and off like a light bulb on the verge of breaking. What was not normal was the amount of chakra he had left. The nin was dying, had been in a kage level fight not too long ago and he currently had around as much chakra as the silver haired shinobi! His spiritual energy level when he was in top fighting shape must be insane.

Recovering from his shock and pushing the matter of Kitsune chakra reserve aside for later questioning, Inu reached for the unconscious man, intending to bring him back with him to the village. That's when he realized what color his hair was. It was almost all hidden by blood and mud so he had not registered it sooner but now that he saw it, the ANBU captain couldn't repress a shudder. He only knew two other people with that hair color, one was his dead sensei and the other was a six years old jinchuuriki.

His hand was now trembling, and instead of picking the man up, Inu slowly removed his mask…

When Kitsune's face was uncovered, Kakashi silently release the breath he didn't realize he was holding. His hand was not the only part of him trembling now. His whole body shook with shock. In front of him was laying Minato sensei clone.

A dying Minato sensei clone…

That's when his brain shut down, his instincts taking over.

If questioned later, ANBU captain Inu also known as Hatake Kakashi wouldn't have been able to tell how much time he stood motionless in front of the man. Or how he managed to carry him outside, meeting Neko, Usagi, along with Tanuki and Hakuchou who had come back with the team sent by Sandaime-sama. He wouldn't be able to recall the way to the village, his report to the Hokage or making sure that Naruto was all right. Even his memories of himself returning to his apartment and dropping asleep on his bed his clothes still on, were nothing but a blur in Kakashi's head.

Hope from the shadows – Konoha's shadows

**And the first chapter is done! Hope you like it please review. Criticism welcome ^^**

**I'd like to take the space to recommend these stories. (Most of you probably know them but for those who don't, GO READ THEM!) They are my main source of inspiration, if it wasn't for these fics, I would have never written mine.**

**Chance for a Prophecy**** by ****_Dorcyy _****You can't stop the flow of time. It's wheel only whirls in one direction. It is impossible for a mere human to change that path. But sometimes the impossible must be done… Naruto time travel fanfiction.**

**That's the story that got me into time travel fics. Probably the best of the 'Naruto goes back to the Fourth Hokage time' genre**

**The Lives Worth Saving**** by ****_cywsaphyre _****Naruto, at 26, has lived through 10 years of war. At the end, with nothing left to call home, he sends himself back to the beginning, to the day of his younger self's graduation, in an attempt to change it all. Time travel AU.**

**My all time favorite, I lost count of how many times I read it. Too bad the author isn't updating… T_T**

**Blind Stars of Fortune**** by ****_100demons _**** Thirty year old Kakashi was supposed to have been killed by Pein during the Invasion. Instead, he wakes up in the body of his twenty year old self. (It gets a lot more complicated.) Time travel.**

**Totally awesome I want more like this one.**

**Until next time! ^^**


	2. Home of the shadows

_Disclaimer_

_When he received the report on Kitsune and Karasu condition from his medic-nin, the Sandaime Hokage promptly shoved aside what he was doing and began to skim through the pages. He sighed in relief once he realized that while their injuries were quite serious, both shinobi would pull through. _

_Coming to a certain page of the report, the old leader chuckle lightly, it seemed no matter his age Kitsune still had the endearing habit to mumble in his sleep. While the act was amusing, the words said were certainly not…_

_Madara…_

_Juubi…_

_Dead…all…of them…_

_Deserted Konoha…_

**_Alianachan doesn't own Naruto, all rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto…_**

_Chakra drained…_

_Sakura…_

_Kaka-_

_Wait, what? Turning to his medic-nin the Sandaime asked in a sharp voice, "Is this report accurate?"_

_If Nezumi was offended that her leader questioned her abilities she didn't let it show. She simply replied "Yes Hokage-sama" in a blank tone._

_"Then how do you explain this weird sentence he mumbled? I didn't see any mention of brain injury in your report."_

**_"_**_Because I didn't find any sir. Would you like me to do some more tests to make sure?"_

_"Please do so and I want to see the results as soon as you get them" ordered the Sandaime, his fear making his tone harsher than it should._

_"Yes Hokage-sama" once again replied the female ANBU before bowing and leaving the office._

_Sighing, the old man reluctantly returned to his endless paperwork but his mind was still on the injured shinobi. He really hoped Kitsune didn't suffer from permanent brain damage or else he would never be able to forgive himself. He should definitely have stopped the blond man from leaving on his reckless self-assigned mission._

**Hope from the shadows – Home of the shadows**

The location of the true ANBU headquarters was one of Konoha most well guarded secret. Of course there was another official building with the same name and any shinobi could find its location with a little probing and a few well placed questions. It was mostly a façade, a fake to keep both allies and enemies alike away from the highly classified world of ANBU. The official building served as living quarters for the black ops members, meeting place for the squads, prison for some of the less dangerous criminals as well storage for unimportant files and information the village wanted to leak out.

The important things all took place in the true headquarters and its security was a work of art. For one, it was located under the Hokage tower so if someone wanted to get in, they had to first infiltrate the building which was not an easy feat. Then they would have to pass all the guards, seals and traps set by Konoha's best experts since its founding. Among the seals in place, some were from the Yondaime and Mito-sama herself. However before even attempting to sneak in, one had to know where it was located. The higher ups of the village and the ANBU members were the only ones privy to the information. Even amongst the black ops, one had to be in service for at least a year before being told and once they retired, a Yamanaka would erased their memories of it.

As if that level of security was insufficient, the last level of the headquarters was even better guarded. There were enough fingers on both hands to count the number of people with access to it. On that basement floor, there was a room in which only the Hokage himself and his most trusted medic Nezumi could enter. The room was where the two ANBU found by Inu squad earlier that day were currently recovering from their injuries.

As soon as he had been able to, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, had sneak out of his office to watch over the two unconscious shinobi. He was now pacing back and forth in the small room, trying to calm his nerves.

"Three years, you guys disappear to only god knows where and don't send a report or even a notice to say you're still alive. I've even put Jiraiya on your trails but no… with your level of skills; even Konoha's spymaster couldn't find a lead on your location! If it had been any other squad that had found the battle site, you two would still be in the wilderness, slowly bleeding to death! Only because Kakashi was there…"he rambled.

Kitsune and Karasu were completely out of cold and couldn't hear him, but talking to himself had a therapeutic effect. It allowed the old Hokage to clear his head and be able to think rationally. It also enabled him to not let his frustration or anger show when he was facing the target of his ire later on. Quite useful before a Council meeting.

Of course, Sarutobi only had his self-talking sessions when he was alone. It wouldn't do for his troops to think their leader was crazy. Even if most of them also had a few screws loose…

Sighing in defeat, the man known as the God of shinobi let himself fall on the chair between the two beds. "I know you guys are powerful, even stronger than me, but I can still worry about you. Beside my promise to Minato, I see you as another grandson despite the little six years we've known each other and your all too short visits to the village since then. Is it so hard to believe that I care?" He gave Kitsune, to whom he was speaking, a small smile. "You really did inherit your father charisma; I guess I shouldn't be surprise since your younger self managed to drag Kakashi out of his depression even when everyone else failed."

Seeing as none of the shinobi had even flinched during his rambling, the Hokage sighed again and, even knowing that no one would answer him, he couldn't help but ask, "Who in the Elemental Nations was able to put two kage level nins with impeccable teamwork like you two on the verge of death?"

"Madara" said an emotionless voice coming from the bed next to Kitsune.

Tearing his gaze from the blond man, Sarutobi turned it to the Uchiha currently sitting in his bed. He hadn't sense that the man was awake or even heard him move!

"Since when…." He began in surprise but stopped himself to ask in a more concerned tone,"Are you alright?"

The raven haired man simply shrugged, dismissing the concern for his health before replying to the first unfinished question. "A few hours, I was only unconscious because Kakashi knocked me out"

"That may be so but you were still severely hurt."

"Not as much as he was." Karasu pointed to his friend, worry audible in his usually emotionless voice.

The Sandaime wanted to disagree that while not fatally injured, the man had come close to death too, but he knew the nin didn't care. So instead of pursuing a vain subject, the Hokage chose to go back to more pressing matters. "Can you tell me what happened, you said you two fought Madara? Your last report stated he was hiding after you managed to kill four of his Akatsuki members."

The only reply the older man got to his question was a cold glare that would make a less experienced shinobi cowers in fear. Sighing once again –he was really doing that a lot today- Sarutobi wondered why dealing with this particular Uchiha was always so difficult. "Sasuke-san," he began "Contrarily to the other times you sneaked in the village unnoticed, there's currently ten black ops members knowing that two unknown ANBU claiming to be from Konoha are in custody. While my ANBU are sworn to secrecy, it is the sad reality that some members are less trustworthy than others and the information of your existences reached the Council ears. I don't intent to tell them the truth but in order to create a convincing story, I need to fill it with half-truths. And to do that, I need to know what happened. After all I can't really say that my ANBU refused to report to his Hokage. "He joked trying to lift his interlocutor mood. He should have known better…

"You're not my master. " The man tensed as a spike of anger found his way into his voice, "the only one I'll ever call Hokage is currently sleeping in the bed next to you."

"I know that, but the Council members don't and I believe it is best that it remains that way," the Sandaime tried to appease the powerful Uchiha.

He then fell silent, letting the raven haired shinobi decide to either tell him or not. The old leader knew that when the other man wanted to keep a secret, not even the combined efforts of Ibiki and Inoichi would make him spill it. Fortunately, while incredibly stubborn, the Uchiha was also quite intelligent and he could probably see the logic behind his argument. That being said, Sasuke did hate him so maybe he wouldn't talk after all.

The silence was hanging heavily in the air and Sarutobi was beginning to think he wouldn't get his answers when Karasu finally spoke in a monotonous tone.

"Three years ago, after we managed to kill Kakuzu and Hidan, the rest of the Akatsuki went into hiding. Kisame and Sasori having already fallen at our hands, we believed Madara didn't want to lose anymore of his forces. We searched the whole continent but all the hints we found on Orochimaru location led to a dead end. We have a promise with Jiraiya of the Sannin and Rokudaime-sama doesn't really want to fight them unless it becomes absolutely necessary, so we left Nagato and Konan alone. As for Madara, he just seemed to disappear into thin air. Our lack of progress on the extermination of the Akatsuki is the reason we didn't sent words back to you; we had nothing to report. Then, Hokage-sama had one of his stupidly reckless ideas; he would allow some of the Kyuubi chakra to leak out, making Akatsuki think that the nine-tails jinchuuriki was not safely guarded in Konoha anymore. By acting like bait, he was hoping Madara would come to personally subdue him. I went along with the plan thinking it would never work out. I should know by now never to bet against Naruto… That is to say, Madara did come, along with Zetsu, and there was a battle. We fought well but somehow we never gained the upper hand and after a while we were on the verge of losing. To force a draw, Hokage-sama had to use his self-sacrificing jutsu which explains-"

"A draw? What kind of self-sacrificing jutsu?" The Sandaime interrupted unable to stop himself.

"If both sides are dead then it's a draw. As for the jutsu he used I'm not too sure, something about shooting all the Kyuubi chakra at your opponent. It apparently caused all of his chakra coils to overload and, since it's the beast chakra, it resulted in being burned alive but from the inside. At least that's what I understood."

The 'Professor' listened to his explication intensively before mumbling to himself, "that would explain Nezumi's report about his internal organs being severely burnt. Shooting all of the Kyuubi chakra at once… it must be really powerful, I wonder if there's a way for ordinary shinobi to use it without dying. Hum…maybe if you only overloaded a-"

"Do you want to know what happened or not?" snapped Karasu. He glared at the old man until the Sandaime gave him a small sheepish smile and an apology, asking him to continue. "Like I was saying, the use of the jutsu explains Kitsune state. The good news is that it was not powerful enough to kill him, even if it was a close call. The bad news is that it was also not strong enough to destroy Zetsu or Madara and now they know what we are capable of. After they escaped, I brought the Rokudaime to a safe location while erasing our trail to the best of my abilities. The rest you can ask Kakashi."

"I already did." Replied the Sandaime simply. Karasu report created as many questions as it explained but he decided they could wait for later. Except for one…

"Is there any chance that Madara will try to retaliate?"

"Probably, but it will take a while before he tries anything. He got caught in Hokage-sama jutsu and unlike him he doesn't have healing abilities."

"Good," said Sarutobi, allowing the relief he was feeling to show on his face. "What are your plans once you're healed?"

"It is not my decision to make, for now I'll just guard Rokudaime-sama until he wakes up." He said with determination in his voice and steel in his eyes. The Sandaime was certain that if there were people fool enough to attempt to hurt the blond man then the Uchiha would make them regret the day they were born.

Hope from the shadows - Home of the shadows

Hatake Kakashi was a patient man. It was in his nature to always be on time but in honor of his teammate who died a few years ago, he made sure to arrive late to every meeting. Being ready at the appointed time and then having to wait around an hour or two before showing up really developed one's patience. Besides, wasn't it one of the shinobi rules; a patient shinobi is a good shinobi or something like that.

So Hatake Kakashi was a patient man, but he was currently on his last straw.

So far, his day had been horrible. He had woken up after having a nightmare about Minato-sensei dying. Nothing new, only this one had seemed extremely real, filling his mind with panic. Then he had remembered the events of the previous day and with less time needed to say shuriken, he was already out and running on the roof tops towards the Hokage tower.

Since he had no knowledge of any Kitsune or Karasu and that the Sandaime had confirmed that they were indeed Konoha's nins, Kakashi believed only three people could inform him about the mysterious clone of Minato sensei. One was the clone himself but if he was still alive, there was no way he would be awake to talk. The other one was the Uchiha wearing the Karasu mask but the man and him hadn't really had a good start. Besides, he had absolutely no clues on the other ANBU whereabouts. Which left him with only one option; the Hokage.

Unfortunately, the old leader was absent when he reached the office and the secretary had no knowledge of where he was or how long it would be before he returned. Not wanting to miss the man, Kakashi had settled to wait in the hallway.

That was five hours ago…

Having long since giving up on standing still, the twenty years old shinobi was currently turning in circles. He wanted answers but the only one who could give them to him was not where he was supposed to be. With each passing minute, the temptation to use his tracking skills on the Sandaime was growing stronger. Even if that would probably land him in Ibiki care.

He was finally about to do it when he heard a voice behind him. "Ah, Kakashi, I had a feeling you would want to meet me. Unfortunately I had pressing matters keeping me this morning, I hope you didn't wait too long?"

'Yes!' he wanted to scream. 'Where the hell were you?' 'Why is there a Yondaime look alike in the ANBU?' 'Why wasn't informed of it?' and 'How could two **KAGE LEVEL** nins be completely unknown in their own village?' But this was the Hokage standing before him, not one of his subordinates or some chuunin that he could easily put back in their places. So instead of yelling at the man, the silver haired jounin snapped to attention and politely replied to his leader. "No sir, if it is not too much of an inconvenience, may I request a talk with you?"

The Sandaime sighed; he knew how curious this particular shinobi could be. Nodding, he led the way to his office and sat behind his desk, eyeing the man standing before him. He had hoped that by making him wait for a long time Kakashi would have given up on this talk, or at least pushed it back to a later date. He had underestimated the stubbornness of the man.

Not seeing any way out, the Sandaime gave in and began, "First I'd like to congratulate you for a mission well done. You gave me a resume of it yesterday but I still expect your written report on my desk by tomorrow."

Now that the Hokage had opened the discussion like the protocol demanded, Kakashi was allowed to speak and ask his questions. Nodding in acknowledgement of the praise and order, he went straight to the reason of his visit. "How are the two ANBU found yesterday? The one wearing the kitsune mask was in really bad shape."

"They are taken care by one of my most trusted medic."

"Where are they? If their condition allowed it, I would like to pay them a visit."

"You don't have the clearance to access where their room is located."

"Why doesn't anyone know of them?"

"Their mission is extremely dangerous and as such is highly classified."

"But surely someone…"

"Like I said, their existence is highly classified. Only four people knew of them, three now since one died six years ago."

_The Yondaime_, Kakashi though. That was the only information he had learned so far, the older man was really evasive in his answers. He couldn't force the Sandaime to tell him the truth but until his leader ordered him to stop, the silver haired man could continue to ask questions. Maybe the older man would slip again.

"Why would Minato-sensei try to clone himself?" he tried.

That succeeded in getting a reaction from the man. The old Hokage dropped his pipe and rose in indignation. "What makes you think that Hatake?"

"I removed Kitsune mask and saw his face sir. But I replaced it before taking him out of the cavern, no one else saw it sir." He added quickly to calm the anger he saw rising in the Sandaime eyes.

"Taking off the mask of another ANBU operative without permission is forbidden Hatake." The older man voice was ice cold.

"I know Hokage-sama" replied the Copy nin. _I don't regret it and would do it again but I will accept my punishment should you give me one_. Was what his tone implied.

The tension in the room grew heavier as both men fought in a silent glaring contest. Surprisingly, the Sandaime was the first to lower his eyes, sighing before activating the privacy seals. He knew Danzo had spies everywhere in the tower and, while there was nothing he could do about the old war hawk learning that two powerful unknown ANBU had come home injured, it would have been better if the bond between Minato and Kitsune had remained a secret.

The two time-travelers would not be pleased, but maybe Danzo knowing could help with the plan he had been working on since his talk with Karasu…

Turning his attention back to the jounin before him, the old Hokage spoke in a somewhat warmer tone but still stern and reprimanding, "First, cloning is, to this day, impossible. The only one with maybe enough scientific knowledge to attempt it is Orochimaru but I'm sure you're aware that even before he went rogue, Minato and him were not on good terms. Second, the Yondaime was a man with too much morals to even think about doing something like that. Finally, did you really take a good look at Kitsune? While I cannot deny the similarities between the two, as far as I know Minato and him do not look exactly the same."

His leader watched as understanding lit the Copy nin eyes. "A relative…" he murmured.

"The relationship between them is an S class secret that only Minato and Kitsune are allowed to reveal, not even I can do it. Since Minato is dead, you'll have to wait until the blond ANBU wakes up. Once he does, I'll ask for his permission to tell you. Whether he agrees or not, you WILL respect his decision. Until then, not a word about what we've discussed gets out, understood?" ordered the old man before the younger one could ask any more questions.

Snapping to attention at the commanding tone used by his leader, Kakashi was quick to reply with a "Yes Hokage-sama." He knew he wouldn't get anything more out of the Sandaime and the few things he had learned needed a lot thinking over.

"Now is there anything else you wish to talk about or are you done? I'm already behind enough on my paperwork."

Kakashi was about to leave after being not so subtly dismissed when he remembered something.

Bowing low, the silver haired shinobi said, in the most respectful tone he had used since the beginning of the discussion, "I wish to thank you for believing me about Naruto. Pakkun said that as soon as he told you that I thought the kid was in danger, you sent a full ANBU squad to assist the two operatives already guarding him. For that, I also own you an apology sir. It seemed my worries were completely unfounded as Pakkun reported that, except for the usual glares and insults from the villagers, nothing tried to harm sensei son."

"You're one of my shinobi with the best instincts and I trust them, you have nothing to apologize for," the Hokage told the Copy nin in an assured voice.

"But this time I was wrong, Naruto was not in mortal danger."

"Who knows, maybe the reinforced protection stopped whoever wanted to harm the kid. If you ever have another one of your 'premonition of doom', I fully expect you to inform me and I will probably act on it again." The commanding tone was back, letting no place for discussion.

"Yes Hokage-sama" replied Kakashi before bowing and making his way to the door. The trust that the Sandaime was giving him was unsettling after the reprimand from earlier; unsettling but welcome.

He was about to turn the handle when the old Hokage voice halted him."If I remember correctly, your squad is going to be short of two members for a few months right?"

Not knowing where this was coming from or where it was going, the jounin answered nevertheless. "Yes sir, Hayate is taking a leave to try a new treatment and Raido is accompanying the envoy to Getsukagure. As their leader feared him a lot, our diplomatic department wanted someone affiliated with the Yondaime to come along."

"Oh? Why not send you or Genma?" teased the Sandaime, knowing that Kakashi hated politics with a passion.

"We played janken and Raido lost."

"Of course" replied the Hokage, not believing him. "So you have two vacant spots on your squad. Hum… I could use that."

"Sir?" asked a confused Kakashi.

"Nothing just talking to myself, if that's all then you're dismissed. "

As soon as his subordinate closed the door, a devious smile appeared on Sarutobi face. His plan was coming together nicely; this time Kitsune and Karasu would not be able to escape.

Hope from the shadows – Home of the shadows

_3 days later; ANBU headquarters, last basement floor, Kitsune and Karasu room._

He was burning alive, fire was spreading thorough his body and he was certain his blood was literally boiling. He wanted to scream, to beg someone, anyone to make it stop and kill him but his voice wouldn't come out. He didn't know how long he endured this torture before the fire began to slowly recede. The burning pain was still there, present in the back of his consciousness, but he could now somewhat think coherently.

He was lying in a bed and considering the absence of outside noises, he was probably underground. Remembering the events that took place before he blacked out, he mentally cursed. _Shit! I didn't manage to kill the bastard. He probably captured me and now he's going to extract Kurama, I can let him do that; I CAN'T let the Juubi be revived._

He was planning ways to escape or killing himself should the first option fail when he sensed a familiar chakra signal a few meters to the left. He sighed inwardly in relief; even if he was a prisoner, at least Sasuke was with him.

At last willing to show that he was awake, Kitsune opened his cerulean blue eyes.

"Finally awake he? Before you ask, no we're not prisoners. We're in Konoha, last floor of the ANBU headquarters." said his friend, redressing himself from his leaning position against the wall; he began to march to the door.

"Where are you going?" his voice was weak and raspy, but thankfully not painful to use.

"Just telling an ANBU to go and get the old man." Seeing his Hokage raised eyebrow, the raven haired shinobi added "There were some complications due to our battle with Madara."

Kitsune, being fluent in Uchihese, translated the pointed glare that came with the explication. _We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't used that stupid jutsu._

Sighing, the blond man pushed himself up to a sitting position. His best friend was worried. He would have preferred if the other was mad at him, a good battle and everything would be solved. But, to quote another one of his friend, a worried Sasuke was much more troublesome. The man would hang around him constantly like a mother would her newborn child until he was perfectly assured that his Hokage wouldn't try something stupid again.

As if to prove his point, the raven returned after a total of 7 seconds. Kitsune sighed again, it seemed he was not trusted enough to be left alone.

"Instead of looking at me like I'm made of glass that is going to break any moment, why don't you just tell me what happened once I lost consciousness and what are these complications you spoke of?" Straightening -because there was no mistaking the order to report in what the blond shinobi had said- Sasuke began to recollect the events of the four previous days.

He had just finished to tell his Hokage that Danzo and Kakashi now both knew he was somewhat related the Yondaime and his leader was busy cursing at the problems that it would create when the door opened revealing the Sandaime.

"What's wrong Naruto?" immediately worried the old man seeing the agitated state Kitsune was in.

"I'm fine Jiji, I'm only mad at Kakashi and his stupid curiosity" Kitsune quickly reassured his surrogate grandfather before adding in a serious tone "And please don't call me Naruto, I told you many times that it was best for me to give up my identity."

"Then you'll have to give me a new name for me to call you," simply stated Sarutobi.

"What's wrong with Kitsune? Do you want to give the mask to a new ANBU member or something? I guess that's fine, I could always be Gama instead. It was Ero-Sennin old mask so I'd actually be proud to wear it" the blond rambled.

"I didn't mean that. You are and will stay Kitsune until you either die or willingly leave ANBU. Even then I probably won't give your mask to anyone except maybe your younger self if he joins the black ops." Taking a deep breath, Sarutobi mentally braced himself before dropping the bomb. "I'm planning to execute the plan that Minato and I came up with six years ago. Of course I'm going to have to change it a little as a few things happened between now and then but essentially it's the same. Sasuke-san covert story doesn't need any amending as for yours-"

"Whoa wait please, wait a minute Sarutobi, I have no intention to live in Konoha. As soon as I'm healed Sasuke and I are leaving again. The plan that Dad and you created is ridiculous especially the part about making me the Yondaime successor. You know why I have to hunt Akatsuki down, why it's imperative that the Juubi never walks this Earth again and to do that I need to live in the shadows not be in the spotlight as the freaking Godaime. We had this conversation a million times already!" interrupted the injured shinobi, anger in his voice.

"Naruto," The Sandaime began "You spent three years searching in vain for Madara and now that he is badly hurt, he's probably going to lay low even longer. You said it yourself; the man needs the nine bijuu for his plan to works which means he will eventually need to come after you or little Naruto. By staying in Konoha you can better protect your younger counterpart and there's less risks of him coming after you too. I KNOW that Madara has the power to destroy the village but that would mean showing himself to the world and from what you've told me it's a move he is not willing make at this point in time. As for the other Bijuus you informed the kage of their villages that something was targeting them and you somewhat managed –which I still don't know how you did it- to make the leaders take you seriously. Then there's the problem of Kakashi and Danzo. You know firsthand how stubborn the Hatake can be when he wants to know something and I believe I don't need to tell you how dangerous Danzo can be."

All these arguments did not seem enough for the young man as he was about to protest the logic of Sarutobi reasoning. But the old man didn't give him time to do it and instead went to what he believed to be the heart of Naruto's reluctance to stay in Konoha. "As much as I am deeply convinced that you would be a much better Hokage than me, I'm willing to let it go and drop the matter." _For now at least_, he added inwardly.

"Wow that was one hell of a sale pitch" the son of the Yondaime said trying to gain time. The Sandaime did make sense but staying in Konoha again, in THIS Konoha where all of his precious people were still alive and breathing, was not something he was sure he would be able to do.

"Thank you" the old Hokage replied, inclining his head. "But that was not a sale pitch, it was a threat." And in saying so his eyes were deadly serious.

As soon as the word threat was pronounced, there was a blue light and an instant later Sasuke, who had been standing on the other side of the room to give the two men some privacy to talk, was now in combat position in front of his Hokage.

"Sasuke calm down, I don't think he means to attack right now" commanded the one who would be known as the Rokudaime in the future.

"Indeed, what I meant is that should you two attempt to leave Konoha I will personally try to stop you by force. Since both of you are stronger than me I'll almost certainly lose which means that Konoha will be thrown into chaos. The Hokage CANNOT be defeated, forgetting the inside tensions that it would create, the other villages would see Konoha as weak and it could eventually lead to war." The tone of the 'God of shinobi' was calm and confident leaving no doubt that he would make true of his words should it come to it.

"This is not just a threat old man; it is blackmail as well as a huge risky gamble." The blond Hokage tone was equally as serious; it was the future of the village they had both sworn to protect that was on line here.

Sarutobi simply nodded, not seeming bothered by his surrogate grandson accusations, and turned to the Uchiha who was still standing protectively in front of his leader. "What do you think of this Sasuke-san?" he asked.

"It is not my decision to make" replied again the raven haired ANBU but he frowned and gave a small nod to his friend. _I don't like to admit it but I believe the old man is right this time._

That the last push that the blond needed. "Damn it!" he exclaimed and throwing his hands in the air he said, "Fine you win we'll stay in Konoha and we'll use Dad plan minus the Hokage part. BUT while we'll play along with being regular jounins, Sasuke and I will stay in ANBU and if there is even a small little tiny lead on one of the Akatsuki member then we're leaving the village to follow it. Deal?"

"Deal" Sarutobi agreed and before the younger man could change his mind he pressed on. "The problem of your names remains, will you be able to get used to be called something else than Naruto and Sasuke?"

Glaring at the man, still angry for being forced to live in Konoha, the bearer of the kitsune mask reluctantly said, "As much as I didn't want it, we sometimes had to act like civilians or ordinary shinobi while we were travelling so we already thought about it. As for slipping up and using our true names, it won't be a problem. When we went after the Akatsuki six years ago, we left behind who we were. We used our ANBU codenames all the time. Honestly, it feels weirder being called Naruto then Kitsune."

"I see…" was all the Sandaime could say. It was sad that these two brave souls had to erase their identities but he knew they had no other choice. "So what names have you chosen?"

"Sasuke, since Hokage-sama is likely to slip at some point, I thought it would be best if it remained the same. Besides, it is a fairly common name," the raven smirked.

"Oi! I won't slip!" shouted the blond man glaring indignantly at his friend who just continued to smirk. "Since I can't really use Naruto, Haru will have to do for me."

"Spring? Nice choice. I guess that since you guys are trying to create a brighter future, a name that is often used as a synonym for hope is quite meaningful."

"There's that…but it was also in homage to Lee." explained the newly named Haru his shoulders dropping and his blue eyes filling with sadness.

"Lee? As in Rock Lee? I believe he's one the orphan of the attack of the Kyuubi."

"Yeah…he was one of the Konoha Twelve, my closest friends. He was also the first one of them to succumb to what we called the chakra black hole. His death allowed us to understand what was killing our world and gave us a chance at fighting it, even if in the end all our efforts were in vain." Deep grief could be heard in the man voice.

Sasuke glanced worriedly at his Hokage. Thinking about the death of his friends was always hard on the man especially Lee's since it was the first and it had been unexpected. In attempt to change the subject and divert his leader, the raven asked the Sandaime, "So what is our role in this plan of yours?"

Understanding what the Uchiha was trying to do, the old Hokage promptly went back to business. "Here's what'll happen and what you will have to do…"

Hope from the shadows – Home of the shadows.

_10 days later, 'fake' ANBU headquarters, Inu's bedroom._

Inu was wondering why his squad couldn't have a single mission where things would go smoothly. It had come close last time, but the appearance of Kitsune and Karasu had completely shattered that chance. Still, the headaches that the two unknown nins brought were better then what almost happened this time. It was supposed to only be a formality, the last mission before two of his subordinates had to go on temporary leave but things went wrong and he had come very close to lose one of his teammate.

It was a B rank mission, for them who were used to S rank ones it should had been like a walk in the park. That's what it had seemed to be at first; squad 3 had to track a group of kidnappers, kill said kidnappers and rescue their hostage who was the eighteen years old daughter of a rich merchant from Hi no Kuni.

Tracking them had been a joke; Pakkun had found the trail immediately and it had only taken a day for Inu's team to catch up to their targets.

Killing them had been even easier; they were a group of rogue nins comprising of six chuunins and two jounins. Nothing that would make five ANBU, four of them having fought in the Third Shinobi War, break a sweat.

Things went sour when the hostage, who was supposed to be a weak damsel in distress, had turned out to be a comrade of the kidnappers and had stabbed Hakuchou in the chest when the man had come to rescue her. She had barely missed his heart and it had taken all of Usagi efforts just to stabilize the kenjutsu user.

Inu had sent Neko and Usagi to escort his injured subordinate back to Konoha while Tanuki and he had brought the woman back to her father. It had taken a lot of willpower on Inu's part to not kill her, the mission stated she had to be returned alive after all.

The ANBU captain had come back to the village, sent one of his summon to report the success of the assignment to the Hokage, made sure Hakuchou was in good hands and was now in the room assigned to him while he was serving in the ANBU forces.

He wished for nothing more than a long shower and a good night sleep and he was about to do just that when there was a sharp knock on his door.

He cursed loudly as he went to answer it, fully intend on showing whoever was stupid enough to disturb him when he was trying to rest why he was one of Konoha most feared jounin. However, all thoughts of torturing his visitor stopped when he saw him; it was not every day that the ANBU serving as the Hokage private messenger was knocking on your door.

The masked shinobi wordlessly handed him three scrolls pointing to one and signaled _First _with his hands before sunshining away.

Shrugging off the man's rudeness, Inu closed his door, locked it and activated his safeguards seals. A personal missive from the Hokage was for the receiver eyes only and it was prudent to read it in a safe location. Once that was done, the silver haired ANBU reached for the scroll that he had been told to read first. It a was small from the Sandaime;

_Kakashi,_

_I have spoken with Kitsune and as he is going to be returning to regular service soon, he has agreed to let you know his real identity. His name is Namikaze Haru and he is Minato's little brother. You will find more explications in the second letter which is from the Yondaime himself. He told me to give it to you should Haru decide to reveal himself. I believe I don't need to tell you that Minato's letter contains classified information so either destroy it once you're done reading or keep it in a place that you are SURE is secure._

_Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage_

Kakashi mind was in turmoil by the time he finished reading his Hokage letter. Minato-sensei had a little brother? He knew the man since he was five and there had never any mention of a sibling. What's more sensei had left a letter for him and he only got it NOW, six years after his death? Deciding to push back his questioning for later, the 20 years old nin took the oldest scroll and opened it. His heart tightened at the view of the written words, it was definitely Minato-sensei's writings. Not losing any more time, he avidly began to read the letter;

_Kakashi-kun,_

_I really hoped you never had to read this because if you do then it means I died the night the Kyuubi was let loose. First I wish to apologize for leaving you alone and making you the only survivor of team seven. However I know that you're strong and will come to term with your grief, becoming one of Konoha best jounin. I believe in you, I'm just sad I can't be here to see it._

_Now if Sarutobi gave you this scroll it means you've met my little brother. You're probably wondering why I never told you about him. Please don't feel betrayed, even Kushina didn't know of his existence until very recently._

_I'm not the nice man that everyone thinks I am. I've done something unforgivable to my little brother; I abandoned him. The whole story is complicated so I won't go into details but because of my actions his childhood was hell and our relationship was strained at best. With Naruto's birth coming up I had planned to make up with him and had I survived, I would have presented you two. With my death that is now impossible and I fear that I have done another unforgivable thing to my little brother. I'm still trying to come up a different option but I probably won't find one in time. If I can't, I will have to seal half of the Kyuubi in my son and the other in my brother. I know that they are strong and will be able to withstand it. I just hope that they will one day forgive me…_

_I know that I have no rights to ask but please take of my brother. He is powerful, maybe even more so then I, but he is deeply emotionally scarred. Please be there for him and don't get offended if he hates me; he has every right to._

_Now, being the prodigy that you are, you probably noticed that I knew of the Kyuubi attack in advance. Don't try to understand how, that's an order. Only a handful of people knows and believe me when I say that the less the better._

_Once again I' m sorry for putting this burden on your shoulders and for leaving you alone but know that you are very precious to me and that I believe in you._

_Live a long and happy life, I'll wait for you with Rin and Obito._

_Your sensei, Namikaze Minato Yondaime Hokage_

Kakashi carefully closed the scroll, tears streaming down his face. It was the first time he had cry since his sensei death. It took quite a while for his sobs to calm down and for his head to begin thinking clearly again. Once it happened, he meticulously put a blood seal on the scroll he just read. The Sandaime had told him to destroy it or keep it safe. He chose the latter; no way was he burning sensei memento.

Done, he reached for the last scroll. This one was also by the old Hokage and it was fairly recent. Opening it, Kakashi quickly read its content; it was two mission orders.

_Addressee: ANBU squad 3 captain Inu_

_Targets: ANBU sub-commander Kitsune and ANBU captain Karasu_

_Mission: The two targets are on a secret and dangerous mission from the Hokage and need a covert in ANBU. They are to be assigned to your squad in replacement of Hakuchou and Tanuki. While they will pretend to obey you, they are their own unit and will move independently. _

_No one must know that they are not truly part of your squad._

_Rank: S _

_Addressee: Jounin Hatake Kakashi_

_Target: Namikaze Haru_

_Mission: You are to help the newly returned target to settle in the village. Due to his long absence and his personal situation, he had close to no contacts in the village and will be the center of attention for a long time. It is imperative that he establish a strong connection with the villagers and the shinobi. You are to submit a written report weekly on the progress of the mission to the Hokage._

_You will be meeting your target tomorrow at 1 pm in the Hokage office._

_Rank: Leaf_

If before he read the last scroll Kakashi thought the situation couldn't get any more confusing, he was severely mistaken. Minato-sensei little brother was of sub-commander rank? That was higher than him and only behind the commander of the entire ANBU force. And the second mission was a leaf rank? This rare ranking was only given to missions where the future of the whole village depended on its success. The famous assignment his father had failed in favor of saving his teammates had been a leaf rank. It was the first time Kakashi received one.

Wondering if he would get any sleep tonight, Kakashi decided he couldn't wait to meet his sensei little brother, he seemed to be quite the personage.

Hope from the shadows – Home of the shadows

_The next day, 12:45 PM, Hokage office. _

The Sandaime was glowing with satisfaction and relief; before him, wearing the traditional jounin garb, stood Namikaze Haru and Uchiha Sasuke. Both nins were sulking but they had resigned themselves to go under the public eye.

"So there's going to be a Council meeting today where I will announce your return. As the situation is somewhat suspicious, people will have questions, you will probably be summoned in about two days. This will give you enough time to move in and meet your new ANBU teammates. You two are certain that you know your roles?" asked the old leader for the millionth time.

"Yes Jiji" replied Haru while rolling his eyes.

"Hnn" grunted Sasuke which his friend mentally translated as _Of course, we're not senile like you old man. _

It was sometimes frustrating to be the only one who understood the Uchiha silent language but at times like this, Haru was glad for it.

"So now we just have to wait for Kakashi, it could take a while" continued Sarutobi, oblivious to the insult he had just received.

"Don't we know it" murmured the blond, thinking back to how long it had taken their teacher to show up on their first team meeting long ago.

To everyone astonishment, there was knock and Kakashi voice was heard "It's Hatake Kakashi, may I come in."

The three occupants of the room looked at each other in shock. Hatake Kakashi the eternally late jounin was early! This had to be a genjutsu or a dream.

The Sandaime was the first to collect himself and he called the Copy nin in.

"Yo! Is there something on my face?" the silver haired man asked as he entered the room. Sasuke and Haru were both frozen and the Uchiha had his sharingan activated as if searching for any sign of an illusion.

"You're early Kakashi" Sarutobi stated. "I can't recall the last it happened."

"Ah well, I couldn't really make Minato-sensei little brother wait now could I?" replied Kakashi while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"I see… now why don't you show these two statues the way to their apartment and leave me to my paperwork."

"Yes sir" playfully replied the silver haired man before grabbing the arms of both men and dragging them towards the door.

As they were about to exit, the Sandaime looked up from the report he had began to read and said, "Haru, Sasuke a word before you leave."

Snapping out of their shocked state, both shinobi turned their eyes to him.

It was with a sincere tone and a warm smile that Sarutobi Hiruzen told them, "Welcome Home."

Hope from the shadows –Home of the shadows

**EDIT: I'm so sorry! Some of the reviewers brought to my attention that a lot of words were missing. As I reread the chapter to see if it's was true, I realized that I had not uploaded the latest and finished version. Not much change on the content but a few mistakes and most of the missing words corrected. Thank you all for telling me, I'll make sure to be more careful while uploading next chapter!**

**Thanks everyone for all the alerts, favorites and reviews. It really means a lot to me. ^^**

**I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one. I'm quite proud of it considering there's almost no action in it.**

**Until next time!**


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